Constitution reading goes bipartisan

The new Congress kicked off with a reading of the Constitution on the floor of the House today, a first in the chamber’s history.

Republicans proposed the reading, but it turned into a rare moment of true bipartisanship on the floor.

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House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) went first, followed by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

House Republicans made the reading a requirement as part of the new Congress’ rules. Initially, there were questions about who would read the “three-fifths” compromise section, which counted three-fifths of the slave population for apportionment of members of Congress in the original document. The House skirted the issue by reading the amended version of the constition.

Republicans and Democrats alternated reading passages from the document.

Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a civil-rights era activist, read the 13th amendment, which abolished slavery. Members from both sides of the aisle applauded, while Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), who ran the reading, shook Lewis's hand after he finished.

The only disruption of the reading was from a woman sitting in the gallery who doesn’t think President Barack Obama was born in the United States. She yelled out “Except Obama, except Obama” when Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) read the clause that requires the president be born in the United States.